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Beghini A, Sammartino AM, Papp Z, von Haehling S, Biegus J, Ponikowski P, Adamo M, Falco L, Lombardi CM, Pagnesi M, Savarese G, Metra M, Tomasoni D. 2024 update in heart failure. ESC Heart Fail 2024. [PMID: 38806171 DOI: 10.1002/ehf2.14857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2024] [Revised: 04/23/2024] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024] Open
Abstract
In the last years, major progress has occurred in heart failure (HF) management. The 2023 ESC focused update of the 2021 HF guidelines introduced new key recommendations based on the results of the last years of science. First, two drugs, sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors and finerenone, a novel nonsteroidal, selective mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist (MRA), are recommended for the prevention of HF in patients with diabetic chronic kidney disease (CKD). Second, SGLT2 inhibitors are now recommended for the treatment of HF across the entire left ventricular ejection fraction spectrum. The benefits of quadruple therapy in patients with HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) are well established. Its rapid and early up-titration along with a close follow-up with frequent clinical and laboratory re-assessment after an episode of acute HF (the so-called 'high-intensity care' strategy) was associated with better outcomes in the STRONG-HF trial. Patients experiencing an episode of worsening HF might require a fifth drug, vericiguat. In the STEP-HFpEF-DM and STEP-HFpEF trials, semaglutide 2.4 mg once weekly administered for 1 year decreased body weight and significantly improved quality of life and the 6 min walk distance in obese patients with HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) with or without a history of diabetes. Further data on safety and efficacy, including also hard endpoints, are needed to support the addition of acetazolamide or hydrochlorothiazide to a standard diuretic regimen in patients hospitalized due to acute HF. In the meantime, PUSH-AHF supported the use of natriuresis-guided diuretic therapy. Further options and most recent evidence for the treatment of HF, including specific drugs for cardiomyopathies (i.e., mavacamten in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and tafamidis in transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis), device therapies, cardiac contractility modulation and percutaneous treatment of valvulopathies, with the recent finding from the TRILUMINATE Pivotal trial, are also reviewed in this article.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Beghini
- Institute of Cardiology, ASST Spedali Civili di Brescia, Department of Medical and Surgical Specialties, Radiological Sciences, and Public Health, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Antonio Maria Sammartino
- Institute of Cardiology, ASST Spedali Civili di Brescia, Department of Medical and Surgical Specialties, Radiological Sciences, and Public Health, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Zoltán Papp
- Division of Clinical Physiology, Department of Cardiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Stephan von Haehling
- Department of Cardiology and Pneumology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), partner site Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Jan Biegus
- Institute of Heart Diseases, Wrocław Medical University, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Piotr Ponikowski
- Institute of Heart Diseases, Wrocław Medical University, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Marianna Adamo
- Institute of Cardiology, ASST Spedali Civili di Brescia, Department of Medical and Surgical Specialties, Radiological Sciences, and Public Health, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Luigi Falco
- Heart Failure Unit, Department of Cardiology, AORN dei Colli-Monaldi Hospital Naples, Naples, Italy
| | - Carlo Mario Lombardi
- Institute of Cardiology, ASST Spedali Civili di Brescia, Department of Medical and Surgical Specialties, Radiological Sciences, and Public Health, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Matteo Pagnesi
- Institute of Cardiology, ASST Spedali Civili di Brescia, Department of Medical and Surgical Specialties, Radiological Sciences, and Public Health, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Gianluigi Savarese
- Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Solna, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Heart and Vascular and Neuro Theme, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Marco Metra
- Institute of Cardiology, ASST Spedali Civili di Brescia, Department of Medical and Surgical Specialties, Radiological Sciences, and Public Health, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Daniela Tomasoni
- Institute of Cardiology, ASST Spedali Civili di Brescia, Department of Medical and Surgical Specialties, Radiological Sciences, and Public Health, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
- Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Solna, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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Hulscher N, Hodkinson R, Makis W, McCullough PA. Response to: Szuster-Ciesielska, letter to the editor regarding 'Autopsy findings in cases of fatal COVID-19 vaccine-induced myocarditis'. ESC Heart Fail 2024. [PMID: 38773951 DOI: 10.1002/ehf2.14862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2024] [Accepted: 05/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/24/2024] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Hulscher
- University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
- McCullough Foundation, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | | | - William Makis
- Alberta Health Services, Cross Cancer Institute, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Peter A McCullough
- McCullough Foundation, Dallas, Texas, USA
- The Wellness Company, Boca Raton, Florida, USA
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Hulscher N, Hodkinson R, Makis W, McCullough PA. Response to: Van Wyk et al. letter to the editor regarding 'Autopsy findings in cases of fatal COVID-19 vaccine-induced myocarditis'. ESC Heart Fail 2024. [PMID: 38772619 DOI: 10.1002/ehf2.14861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2024] [Accepted: 05/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/23/2024] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Hulscher
- School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
- McCullough Foundation, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | | | - William Makis
- Alberta Health Services, Cross Cancer Institute, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Peter A McCullough
- McCullough Foundation, Dallas, Texas, USA
- The Wellness Company, Boca Raton, Florida, USA
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Van Wyk H, Zhu MQ, Stone DR, Singh AK, Bassiouni S. Letter to the editor regarding 'Autopsy findings in cases of fatal COVID-19 vaccine-induced myocarditis'. ESC Heart Fail 2024. [PMID: 38661239 DOI: 10.1002/ehf2.14819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Van Wyk
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Mia Q Zhu
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Danielle R Stone
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Awnish Kumar Singh
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Sarah Bassiouni
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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de Sousa PMB, Silva EA, Campos MAG, Lages JS, Corrêa RDGCF, Silva GEB. Fatal Myocarditis following COVID-19 mRNA Immunization: A Case Report and Differential Diagnosis Review. Vaccines (Basel) 2024; 12:194. [PMID: 38400177 PMCID: PMC10891853 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines12020194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2024] [Revised: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Carditis in childhood is a rare disease with several etiologies. We report a case of infant death due to pericarditis and myocarditis after the mRNA vaccine against COVID-19 (COVIDmRNAV). A 7-year-old male child received the first dose of the COVIDmRNAV and presented with monoarthritis and a fever non-responsive to oral antibiotics. The laboratory investigation showed signs of infection (leukocytosis, high levels of c-reactive protein). His condition rapidly deteriorated, and the patient died. The autopsy identified pericardial fibrin deposits, hemorrhagic areas in the myocardium, and normal valves. A diffuse intermyocardial inflammatory infiltrate composed of T CD8+ lymphocytes and histiocytes was identified. An antistreptolysin O (ASO) dosage showed high titers. The presence of arthritis, elevated ASO, and carditis fulfills the criteria for rheumatic fever. However, valve disease and Aschoff's nodules, present in 90% of rheumatic carditis cases, were absent in this case. The temporal correlation with mRNA vaccination prompted its inclusion as one of the etiologies. In cases of myocardial damage related to COVID-19mRNAV, it appears to be related to the expression of exosomes and lipid nanoparticles, leading to a cytokine storm. The potential effects of the COVID-19mRNAV must be considered in the pathogenesis of this disease, whether as an etiology or a contributing factor to a previously initiated myocardial injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro Manuel Barros de Sousa
- University Hospital of the Federal University of Maranhão, Barão de Itapari Street 227, São Luís 65020-070, MA, Brazil; (P.M.B.d.S.)
| | - Elon Almeida Silva
- University Hospital of the Federal University of Maranhão, Barão de Itapari Street 227, São Luís 65020-070, MA, Brazil; (P.M.B.d.S.)
| | - Marcos Adriano Garcia Campos
- Clinical Hospital of Botucatu Medical School, São Paulo State University, Professor Mário Rubens Guimarães Montenegro Avenue, Botucatu 18618-687, SP, Brazil
| | - Joyce Santos Lages
- University Hospital of the Federal University of Maranhão, Barão de Itapari Street 227, São Luís 65020-070, MA, Brazil; (P.M.B.d.S.)
| | | | - Gyl Eanes Barros Silva
- University Hospital of the Federal University of Maranhão, Barão de Itapari Street 227, São Luís 65020-070, MA, Brazil; (P.M.B.d.S.)
- Department of Pathology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto 14049-900, SP, Brazil
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Mead MN, Seneff S, Wolfinger R, Rose J, Denhaerynck K, Kirsch S, McCullough PA. COVID-19 mRNA Vaccines: Lessons Learned from the Registrational Trials and Global Vaccination Campaign. Cureus 2024; 16:e52876. [PMID: 38274635 PMCID: PMC10810638 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.52876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Our understanding of COVID-19 vaccinations and their impact on health and mortality has evolved substantially since the first vaccine rollouts. Published reports from the original randomized phase 3 trials concluded that the COVID-19 mRNA vaccines could greatly reduce COVID-19 symptoms. In the interim, problems with the methods, execution, and reporting of these pivotal trials have emerged. Re-analysis of the Pfizer trial data identified statistically significant increases in serious adverse events (SAEs) in the vaccine group. Numerous SAEs were identified following the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA), including death, cancer, cardiac events, and various autoimmune, hematological, reproductive, and neurological disorders. Furthermore, these products never underwent adequate safety and toxicological testing in accordance with previously established scientific standards. Among the other major topics addressed in this narrative review are the published analyses of serious harms to humans, quality control issues and process-related impurities, mechanisms underlying adverse events (AEs), the immunologic basis for vaccine inefficacy, and concerning mortality trends based on the registrational trial data. The risk-benefit imbalance substantiated by the evidence to date contraindicates further booster injections and suggests that, at a minimum, the mRNA injections should be removed from the childhood immunization program until proper safety and toxicological studies are conducted. Federal agency approval of the COVID-19 mRNA vaccines on a blanket-coverage population-wide basis had no support from an honest assessment of all relevant registrational data and commensurate consideration of risks versus benefits. Given the extensive, well-documented SAEs and unacceptably high harm-to-reward ratio, we urge governments to endorse a global moratorium on the modified mRNA products until all relevant questions pertaining to causality, residual DNA, and aberrant protein production are answered.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Nathaniel Mead
- Biology and Nutritional Epidemiology, Independent Research, Copper Hill, USA
| | - Stephanie Seneff
- Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, USA
| | - Russ Wolfinger
- Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Independent Research, Research Triangle Park, USA
| | - Jessica Rose
- Immunology and Public Health Research, Independent Research, Ottawa, CAN
| | - Kris Denhaerynck
- Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Independent Research, Basel, CHE
| | - Steve Kirsch
- Data Science, Independent Research, Los Angeles, USA
| | - Peter A McCullough
- Cardiology, Epidemiology, and Public Health, McCullough Foundation, Dallas, USA
- Cardiology, Epidemiology, and Public Health, Truth for Health Foundation, Tucson, USA
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